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Children should be encouraged to run around classrooms in lessons to get them fit, the National Association of Headteachers annual conference in Liverpool will be told.

Bryn Llewellyn, a former head from Yorkshire, will tell delegates that “physically active learning” should be a core part of teaching and help cut obesity, as it was reported that one in five children is now obese on leaving primary school.

Mr Llewellyn said that as well as keeping children fit and healthy, incorporating movement into lessons can help them with retention of knowledge.

Mr Llewellyn runs a programme in which pupils play tag rugby-style games to help them understand maths and English. For example, children compete in teams to collect tags, and then work together to solve problems – such as times tables – using the tags.